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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · staff · rule · craft · bowl · mark · root · patient

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mark — a grade
  3. staff — employees
  4. vault — a safe
  5. craft — boats
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. craft — a skill
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. root — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. root — the cause
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rule — government
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. staff — a stick
  21. root — of a word
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rule — a law
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com